Lost Without You
by BADASS THE UNPREDICTABLE
Summary: Dusty says something bad and Lil' Dipper is hurt by his words, but she forgives him. However, she soon gets into trouble with someone from her past. Can Dusty save her before it's too late? Dusty x Lil' Dipper, Character Death
1. Injured

"Dipper, please listen to me!" "But I'm not done complementing you!", Lil' Dipper said as she and Dusty were at the air attack base having an argument. "That's kind of the idea!", Dusty snapped. Dipper's eyes widened in shock. "I'm tired you of you always following me around!", he continued, "I think you're stalking me, so back off!" Dipper felt horrified at what she'd just been told by her favorite former air racer-turned-SEAT. She bolted off in the other direction while starting her two engines. She taxied by Blade Ranger, who saw tears welling up in her eyes. The red helicopter turned toward Dusty with a look that said, "Boy, you've done it this time." Dusty got that through to his mind, but before he could react Dipper took off heading towards and over the mountains. He taxied to the runway to follow her, but the helicopter blocked his path saying, "I think you've caused more than enough trouble around here. Your actions will result in your floats being taken away. You will be left in the hangar so you can think about what just happened. Maru, do your job!" Maru, a purplish-blue forklift with large tires and a missing tooth came over and directed Dusty to the workshop hangar.

TWO WEEKS LATER.

Fire season had finally ended for the year. Dusty was still in his holding cell-like hangar, propped up on a stand. Suddenly the doors opened, letting blinding light inside. Dusty squinted his eyes just enough to be able to look at a figure rolling towards him. His eyes adjusted to the brightness, and he saw that it was Dottie. "Blade Ranger told me everything.", the forklift said to Dusty, "I'm very disappointed." Dusty could barely look at her, since he felt guilty. Dottie added, "I'm putting the floats back on, since Maru joined the search party. Dusty looked confused. "You don't know?", she asked him. Dusty shook his nose. Dottie broke the news to him saying, "Dipper is missing." Dusty's eyes widened as he gasped. "WHAT?!", Dusty yelled. "Calm down.", she told him, "I just modified the floats so they can act as reserve fuel tanks. That will extend your shift in the search." She went out and then came back with the floats and a toolbox. One grueling hour later, Dusty rolled out of the hangar and taxied towards Dipper's hangar. He got inside and looked all the pictures of him on one wall. Dusty then started talking to himself. "Dipper, if you can hear me, I want you to know that I never meant for any of this to happen. I'm so sorry. I'll never talk back at you ever again. I'll do whatever it takes to bring you home safely. I swear on my life. You're tough, intelligent, and most of all…" It took Dusty a few seconds or so to utter that last word. "beautiful."

Cutting through the valley, Dusty scoured the countless acres of dense forest looking for a yellow speck that would be Dipper. Then he received a transmission on his radio. "Crophopper Seven, Dipper has been spotted two-zero nautical miles off of your position. Change your current heading to one-niner-zero." "Copy, that.", Dusty replied immediately. He banked left and headed towards Dipper's location. After thirty minutes of climbing up and down mountains, Dusty spotted a lake. In it he saw a yellow dot floating on the surface. "Dipper!", he exclaimed with glee. But when he got low enough he saw that her eyes were closed. Dusty immediately started to worry as he prepared to land on the water. His floats made contact with the water as he touched down. He slowed and turned so he could float over to her. Dusty shut off his engine once he was in front of her. "Dipper?!", he called to her. Dipper opened her eyes slowly, revealing Dusty in front of her. "D-D-Dusty?", she stammered in a whisper. He asked her, "Are you alright?" Dipper shook her nose. "What happened?", he asked. "I don't know.", she answered simply. Dusty looked up and gasped when he saw that part of Dipper's tail was missing. Then he noticed that one of her eyes was half-opened. Her elevators were also slightly warped. He immediately turned on his radio. "Windlifter, Dipper's been seriously hurt. She needs to be taken to the hospital. We're two hundred miles northeast of the base." As soon as he finished the transmission, he saw Dipper's eyes closing. "No, stay with me!", he exclaimed, "Help is coming!" Dipper's breathing suddenly became shallower. "DIPPER!"


	2. Secrets Revealed

The hospital was busy with activity, since the wildfire caused many injuries. Dusty subsequently found himself waiting in the hallway next to the door of Dipper's room after he just finished talking to an NTSB investigator about the incident. Then the door opened and a white car came out with a clipboard. "How is she, Doctor?", Dusty asked her in worry. "See for yourself.", the doctor answered with a smile. Dusty rolled in and saw Dipper wide awake. Then he saw that all the damage had been repaired. A tear came out of Dusty's eye because he knew that she was okay. Dusty rolled closer to her, but Dipper froze, her eyes fixed on the television. Dusty looked at it too and saw a reporter next to a picture of a Messerschmitt fighter jet. Dipper turned the volume up with her nose wheel on the remote. "Two weeks ago, after battling a massive wildfire, a Super Scooper named Lil' Dipper disappeared from radar. She spent all of those two weeks floating on a lake. It wasn't until yesterday morning that she was spotted by a U-2 spy plane that had been called in to help with the search. However it was former air racer Dusty Crophopper who found her in serious condition, since the spy plane told him her location. Today, it has been finally revealed what actually happened. It turned out that a fighter jet who defected from Nazi Germany accidently hit her. The jet's rudder was malfunctioning when she slammed into Miss Dipper while flying back to her home in Texas." The reporter then finished her segment. Dusty turned toward Dipper, who looked shocked. But she then said, "I forgive her…" Dusty was relieved to hear this. "…and also you."

Later that day, Dipper was released from the hospital. By that afternoon, she and Dusty made it back to the air attack base. Once they landed, Dipper rolled into her hangar and opened a panel revealing a DVR. "You have hidden cameras?", Dusty asked with uneasiness. Dipper nodded and replied, "Call me crazy, but even if there's zero crime around here, I always make sure my stuff is still in this hangar. But then again, Maru is always going through all of it searching for parts." She then popped out a screen and played back the video. It soon showed Dusty rolling in through the door. Dipper was surprised and pushed the play button. "Dipper, if you can hear me, I want you to know that I never meant for any of this to happen. I'm so sorry. I'll never talk back at you ever again. I'll do whatever it takes to bring you home safely. I swear on my life. You're tough, intelligent, and most of all…beautiful." Dipper was even more surprised. She looked at Dusty, who started blushing severely. Dipper's heart was completely melted by his words to the point where she slowly rolled forward and pecked him on the cheek. Dusty was taken aback by her gesture. Then Maru came up to them, interrupting their lovey-dovey moment.

"Bad news, Dipper!", Maru exclaimed, "Brian just got paroled!" Dipper's eyes widened. Then she started trembling with fear. Dusty knew Dipper was hiding something. "Dipper, is there something you're not telling me?", Dusty asked with worry. "Brian's my ex.", Dipper answered, "He became abusive towards me and at that's why I left him. I'm the reason he got put in jail" "I know of one safe-house!", Maru blurted out, "I'll load you to the brim with fuel, give you the coordinates and you'll be on your way. But fly under the cover of darkness with your lights and transponder turned off!" Night soon fell as Dipper found herself parked at the end of the runway. Dusty then rolled up beside her. "Is he that dangerous?", he asked her. Dipper nodded as a tear came out of her eye. Then she started both of her engines. Once they were warmed up, she increased the throttle. Dusty moved to the side as her sleek yellow body started to barrel down the runway. Once she was airborne, Dusty whispered, "Stay alert. Stay safe. But most of all stay alive. I can't lose you, like I did Ishani." . FLASHBACK. Dusty was drinking some oil in his hangar. It had been a month after he'd broken up with Ishani. He was watching the air sports network on some upcoming races, wondering which ones he should enter. The list disappeared to reveal a live air race going on in Dubai, and Ishani was in the lead. Even though they split, he still cheered her on. "Go, Ishani! Go!" She was just about to round the final turn when her engine exploded, sending her spiraling towards the ground. END FLASHBACK. Dusty broke down crying.


	3. Mishap Mayhem

"You did WHAT to Dusty?!" "Sir, please. I regret my decision to punish Crophopper like that." "You better make sure it doesn't happen again! Otherwise I'll see to it that you are stripped of your position! Now get your tail out of here!" "Yes, sir." Blade Ranger exited Ol' Jammer's office after being barraged with harsh words from the tour bus. The red helicopter knew it was all his fault. He'd have to apologize to Dusty. "There's one thing I have to do first.", he said to himself. Meanwhile, Maru was looking around his hangar for some spare parts. After twenty minutes of searching, he found the last item. He then took the parts and set them outside. Suddenly he noticed Blade Ranger pushing a trash can outside of his hangar with his nose. Curious, Maru went over to the can when Blade Ranger went off to find Dusty. Maru lifted the metal lid and gasped at the can's contents.

Dipper was still flying towards her destination. All she could see was desert for miles and miles. Then she heard the sound of jet engines. Suddenly two Super Hornets started to fly right beside her. "Unknown rider, unknown rider. You have entered restricted airspace. Why haven't you responded to radio contact?" Although she was petrified, Dipper managed to answer. "I turned off my transponder because someone is out to get me. I need protection.", she said. "You will have to come with us.", one of the jets told her, "We will escort you to Nellis Air Force Base." Thirty minutes later, the trio landed at the base. After that, Dipper was put in an interrogation room with one-way mirrors on a wall. The door opened and a female Hummer came in to question her. She closed the door behind her. "Miss Dipper?", she asked. "Yes?", Dipper answered. "I'm Sergeant Hicks.", the Hummer said, "Why were you flying near the base?" Dipper immediately replied, "I already told you guys. Someone is after me. I was trying to get to a safe house. My transponder had to be turned off because I didn't want him to find me." Hicks thought for a moment. Then she said, "I will have someone call your boss at Piston Peak and let him know that we will protect you." Dipper was delighted to hear this, but she kept calm.

Back at Piston Peak, late at night, Blade Ranger was taking a nap in his hangar. Then the phone rang, jolting him awake. "What idiot would call me at this hour?", he mumbled. He went over to the phone and looked at the caller ID. "U.S. Air Force." His eyes widened and he answered it immediately. "Hello?", he asked. "Good evening.", the person said, "I'm calling about your colleague Lil' Dipper." Blade Ranger was surprised and asked, "What about her?" The person replied, "She strayed into our airspace not too long ago. She said that someone was after her and that she was trying to get to a safe house. Is this true?" "Yes.", Blade responded, confirming the story, "And thank you for calling. Also, did she ask for protection?" "Yes, sir.", came the reply." "Thank you.", he told the person. He then hung up the phone and went outside to tell the others. Thoughts started racing through his mind. Of all the places in the world, Blade never thought a base would take her in. As he was about to knock on Windlifter's door, he heard a click behind him. He turned around and saw a blue plane with a gun mounted on his wing. "Where is she?", the blue plane asked menacingly. "Go to Hell.", Blade spat. BLAM!


End file.
